[i]"When the demons of ruin gather round you, when there is no hope left in works of men, when your doom seems nigh. Do not despair. Turn your gaze to the skies and hold fast to your faith. For he shall not forsake us. The light shall come again."[/i] 
[b]-The Radiant Codex[/b]

[b]Arcturus, Estara, Town Square[/b]

As the demons of chains swarmed over the town all hope may well have seemed lost. Certainly many who dwelt in the town had begun to panic, frantically trying to escape from the chains and monsters that poured forth in service of the Prince Kharathorr. But there was one who had stood fast even as the demons swarmed towards him, swallowing up others who had stood in the square. A man who was clad simply in a faded grey robe of homespun cloth simply knelt down upon the stones of the square and folded his arms before his body as if in prayer. And a chanting voice rose from him. "In you oh lord I place my faith." 

A spear sat by his side, a spear that was encrusted with crystals that glowed as if they were made from the purest light itself and it was this spear that made it clear what the man truly was. It was rare for the members of the Radiant Path to venture into Estara, and even less common for them to enter large settlements when they did drift so far to the east. But the man had come into town early that day to restock his supplies of foodstuffs before he could continue his journey of solitude and sinless contemplation. He had not thought today was to be his dying day, it had begun like so many others did. And now demons swarmed towards him. "Though the enemy crowds around me.." His voice was heard above the screams coming from others in the square and one of the demons finally seemed to notice the man.

Chains creaked and whirred as the spider like monstrosity skittered towards the lone adherent of the the Radiant Path. "I do not fear." The man rose to his feat and lifted up the glowing spear that sat beside him. "For my feat tread your blessed path." The demon came closer accompanied by the horrendous hissing and clicking of chains against chains. But before it could wrap it's limbs around the man and pull him into the eternal torment the man struck. The spear lancing out to stab through the body of the spider like demon and it crumbled into dust before the light with a tormented shriek of sundered metal. "And you are with me."

There was no time for celebration even as a man slew one of the demons. Others in the square turned their gazes away from the helpless citizens of the town, attention drawn by the death screams of one of their fellows. And as the adherent of the Radiant Path lifted his spear again the monsters charged in a skittering storm of terrible sounds. "For you are just." The man's spear lashed out again and took a second demon, then spinning he took a third."And you are Lord."

For a moment the people who were left in the square felt hope. This man was slaying demons, the demons could be stopped! But then the inevitable happened. One of the chains wrapped around the spear and pulled it from his hands before casting it aside to shatter as it struck a building's wall. And the demon lifted up the man as if it planned to rip him into pieces for daring to fight against the forces of ruin, for daring to stand against the great slaver's servants, and worse for being somewhat successful.

That was before the light came. While it had been a sunny day and many would have remarked that the light was already strong none were prepared for what came next. It was light that filled the world, light that put any light ever seen by the residents of the town to shame. It was not the gentle light of the sun, or the stars, or the moon. It was light that struck like a force. The town was thrown into stark illumination, there were no shadows left. Even the demons did not cast any, for the light was so omnipresent that there was no place for the shadows to be cast.

The demons recoiled as if struck. All across the city the chains briefly staggered, ceasing their hungry attempts to seize people for a brief moment as if the coming of the light had shocked them with a physical blow. From the skies above came a sound not unlike a chorus of trumpets, and a sound much like that of a great chime that rang out with a single pure note that mingled with the chorus. 

Then as the sound passed and the demons once more began to move they descended. Beings who glowed with the light of the sun, clad in silver and gold and clutching weapons that cast out streams of light with every swing, beings with wings made from glowing crystals, beings who struck at the demons besieging the city descended from on high. 

A spear of light took the demon that held up the adherent of the Radiant path as one of the glowing beings landed within the square itself. This being appeared to be female, and upon her head she bore a crown not unlike that worn by Evarast himself. Crystal wings fanned out around her as rays of burning light shattered the demons of chains that attempted to strike at her. "Rejoice oh chosen of Evarast. Rejoice oh sinless. For the Lord on high protects the just." Her voice was like ambrosia, all who heard it felt a deep warmth and sense of well being in their very souls, a feeling of peace and safety. And her voice echoed throughout the whole town.

With those words the radiant being took wing again and joined by the others who had descended and notably glowed with far less intensity set about purging the town of the remaining demons of the chains.